Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkiye Klinikleri, İstanbul, 2025
As the population ages, we increasingly encounter older and more complex patients with multiple comorbidities in clinical practice. Medical, ethical, and patient-centered approaches should be considered when making treatment decisions for these patients. Factors such as multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and reduced physiological reserve often complicate treatment options. Treatment decisions should consider the patient's overall health status, life expectancy, functional capacity, and individual preferences. For some older patients, cognitive impairments can complicate the decision-making process. In these cases, decisions may need to be made with the support of family members and ethics committees. Moreover, ageism should be prevented to ensure that older individuals are not disadvantaged in accessing treatment. The balance between aggressive treatment methods and conservative management should be carefully evaluated, especially in older adults. Unnecessary invasive procedures should be avoided, and approaches aimed at enhancing the patient's quality of life should be prioritized while maintaining a clinical benefit-risk balance. In this challenging decision-making process, evidence-based medicine guidelines, ethical principles, and respect for the preferences of the patient and their family should guide the effort to ensure a dignified and high-quality life for older individuals.